Small Bahamian farm gets reprieve

Charles Gibson, owner and operator of Diamond poultry
farms for 26 years, expected that he would have to shut down his $1.5 million
operation after May because he only has enough business to last until
then.

Under the former government, when poultry importers would request import permits, they would check to see if local producers could supply product.

"The only time we could sell chicken now is when there is a delay in imported chickens. The stores get a permit to bring in a certain amount of chicken and they'll smuggle the rest in; and the government isn't doing anything about it."

Upon reading Gibson's account in a local paper, Agriculture Minister, Leslie Miller, stepped in and has indicated that a new policy has been created that ought to protect the small poultry farm.

"He has my assurance that as long as I am here, whatever produce is produced by Diamond Farms will be bought by the major importers in this country before they could import any poultry whatsoever," the minister said.